Ryan's Dopes

I warned you about this. The courtier press has been slavering for months for a chance to rehabilitate Paul Ryan, the zombie-eyed granny-starver from the state of Wisconsin, and comic relief for actual economists from sea to shining sea. They see their chance now as Ryan has proposed his thoroughly rejected proposal for zombie-eyed granny-starving as a "way out" of the "dysfunction" caused by the vandalism of his colleagues in the House Republican caucus.

Mr. Ryan, 43, has immense credibility with conservatives for his "Path to Prosperity" budget, which proposed politically risky Medicare changes and deep tax cuts. Moderates see Mr. Ryan, who has broken with some conservatives over immigration, as a lawmaker with some flexibility. In many respects, his standing exceeds that of the party's titular leader, Speaker John A. Boehner. Perhaps most important, Democrats believe that when Mr. Ryan drafts a plan, he can actually deliver the votes. They hold no such confidence in Mr. Boehner.

Oy.

(Steve at No More Mister Nice Blog does a great job parsing the fanzine adjectives sprinkled throughout this extended Lewinsky. Ooh, as the late Mr. Zappa once said. Gooey! Dripping! Steaming!)

Quite simply, this is the courtier press refusing to give up its chew-toy. Years ago, for reasons I still don't understand, this complete charlatan was inducted into the League Of Serious Men, despite the fact that his "budget" is a naked blueprint for a plutocratic dystopia. He trotted it out in 2010 and was laughed at by, among other people, the laff riots at the CBO. He ran for vice-president and the Democrats hung Ryan's zombie-eyed granny-starving around Willard Romney's neck -- where, it must be said, it fit like a tailored short. Ryan and his economic snake oil was resoundingly rejected by the entire country, and now people are lining up to help him peddle it again.

The fact that Mr. Ryan's plan quite obviously made no mention of the health care law as a bargaining chip quickly drew him scorn from some on the right, but to Democrats and more moderate Republicans, the sidelining of the health care fight immediately gave the plan credibility.

Find me the Democrats who believe this. Find them and bring them to me. (For that matter, find me "moderate Republicans.") Paul Ryan's "credibility" depends on nothing except his willingness to find mendacious sales techniques with which to pitch the destruction of every bit of progressive Democratic economic accomplishment back past the New Deal and all the way back to the Progressives of the early 20th century. This never has changed. If nothing else, watching his fans roll away the stone on Ryan's behalf demonstrates one thing quite clearly. This whole Republican "civil war" has been about nothing more than tactics. The goals remain the same, and they are destructive to the vast majority of the people in this country, most of whom thought they were good and rid of Paul Ryan.

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